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ICYMI: Rick Scott failed to act for 612 days between Pulse and Parkland

Posted March 6, 2018

ICYMI: Rick Scott failed to act for 612 days between Pulse and Parkland

New billboards in Tallahassee and Orlando are making sure Floridians know about Rick Scott’s long record opposing commonsense gun safety reforms, his failure of leadership, and his self-serving politics – highlighting how he failed to take action to keep Floridians safe from gun violence during the 612 days between the Parkland and Pulse tragedies.

Making matters even worse, Scott spent the past weekend partying with his political donors instead of working with lawmakers on school safety proposals.

“Monday the Democratic Party of Florida publicized two billboards they erected recently in Orlando and Tallahassee. The messages cite the Sun Sentinel slamming Gov. Rick Scott for doing "nothing" between the Pulse nightclub shooting that claimed 49 lives and the recent Parkland school shooting”

“The message charges that the Republican governor’s commitment to addressing gun violence since the Feb. 14 massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School lacked in the days following the Pulse mass shooting. Specifically, the 612 days that transpired between the two tragedies.”

“He broke his promise and did nothing to make Floridians safer from gun violence after the Pulse tragedy because he was more concerned about looking out for his political interests and the agenda of his gun lobby backers. Now he’s ignoring the clear calls from Parkland students and gun safety advocates by refusing to back an assault weapons ban.”

“The Sun-Sentinel editorial that the billboard cited criticized Scott and President Donald Trump‘s responses to the Parkland shooting, as well as Scott for refusing to consider a ban on assault weapons in the wake of the Pulse shooting.”

“The billboard faces the route downtown from one of Orlando’s largest Hispanic communities, Azalea Park. Many of the 49 people murdered at Pulse were Hispanic as the mass murder occurred during the popular nightclub’s Latino night. That east-side community was particularly hard hit.”

“After each mass shooting in Florida, Republican leaders say the killing has to stop. But they’ve done nothing to stop it.”

'“Rick Scott’s long record of opposing common-sense gun safety measures shows exactly who he is: a self-serving politician who says one thing and does the opposite — while Floridians pay the price,’” said Juan Penalosa, Florida Democratic Party Executive Director, in a statement.”